As 2019 general election draws nearer, more groups and communities have continued to troop to the Government House Enugu to register their support for the re-election bid of Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State, who is standing as the sole aspirant for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship primary election in the state.
Prominent among those that paid him solidarity visit yesterday, were the people of Obukpa in the University town of Nsukka led by their traditional rulers, other elders and leaders of thoughts, as well as the PDP Ward chairmen from Enugu West senatorial district.
The jubilant people of Obukpa town comprising four autonomous communities said they were impressed with Gov. Ugwuanyi’s numerous landmark achievements since he assumed office, stressing that his sterling performance across the three senatorial districts of the state was a rewarding experience in the social contract between him and the people.
The PDP ward chairmen appreciated Gov. Ugwuanyi for entrenching participatory democracy in the state, saying that his style of leadership has rejuvenated the party’s organs at the grassroots, according them their rightful place in the scheme of things as “proud ward leaders”.
The enthusiastic ward party leaders noted with delight that the governor’s emergence as the sole aspirant for the governorship primaries was because of his good works and inclusive leadership style that have brought peace and unity in the state.
In an endorsement address signed by the first Deputy Chairman, Enugu State Traditional Rulers Council and the Enugu North Zonal Chairman, H.R.H Igwe Barr. R.S.N Ezeh, other traditional rulers of the autonomous communities, the Chairman of Enugu State Town Unions and President-General of Ejuona Obukpa, Chief Paully Eze (Esq), three other Presidents-General, and the Commissioner for Education, Prof. Uche Eze, among others, the people of Obukpa town also commended the governor for “prudently deploying the state resources for the transformation of Enugu State”.
They told the governor that “this gave rise to the wide range of endorsements you have received from people of this state and beyond including members of the opposition party”.
Describing Gov. Ugwuanyi as a pacesetter, the people applauded him for initiating the ‘one community one project’ programme , which earmarked N10 million each for the 458 autonomous communities in the state to enable them execute priority projects of their choice as well as the first ever Enugu State Traders Empowerment Scheme that assists genuine traders, who win the monthly raffle draw of N50,000 each, to grow their various businesses, “irrespective of state of origin, religion and ethnicity”.
On the governor’s intervention in the education sector, the group stated that the state government has provided adequate infrastructural facilities and teaching aids in the primary, secondary and tertiary institutions, disclosing that “dilapidated structures in most primary and secondary schools in the state, Obukpa town inclusive have been renovated”.
They said: “With your prudent management of our Internally Generated Revenue (IGR), you have taken our state into the league of viable and economically independent states in Nigeria with prompt payment of salaries and the 13th month salary bonus to our workers.
“You broke a jinx recently when you paid the June and July 2018 salaries to our workers without the traditional allocation from the Federation account, showing that Enugu State has indeed arrived”.
The Obukpa people equally praised the governor for the security of lives and property in the state, saying: “your government has performed above average to the extent that we now go to our beds with two eyes closed” and “you have put smiles back to the faces of our women, youths and traders in the state with various empowerment packages from your government”.
“Consequent upon the foregoing sir, our people in the four autonomous communities have mandated us to endorse you for a second tenure in office as Executive Governor of Enugu State because we have the firm belief that the reward for every good work done is more work.
“We promise firmly to mobilize support of everybody to ensure that we give you 100% of our votes during the 2019 general election. We are battle ready with our PVCs, waiting anxiously for the D-day”, the excited visitors declared.
